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RIAA now to contact consumers before suing them

Faced with mounting criticism over its tactics, the RIAA has decided to …

After a barrage of criticism resulting from its initial round of lawsuits, the RIAA is attempting to stem the tide of negative publicity by slightly altering their tactics. Now, before a lawsuit is filed, potential defendents will be contacted and given the opportunity to pony up some cash to make the problem go away, or argue that they haven't engaged in activities frowned upon by the RIAA.

The shift, announced at a Senate hearing by Mitch Bainwol, chairman of the Recording Industry Association of America, was in response to critics who accused the music industry of casting too wide a legal net over alleged song pirates, ensnaring 12-year-olds and grandfathers alike.

"We are trying to be reasonable and fair and allow these cases the opportunity to be resolved without litigation," Bainwol said.

While it's nice to go the extra mile before dragging unsuspecting senior citizens into court, it would be better still if the RIAA would take a look at other causes of slipping CD sales such as high prices, lawsuits, and a stagnant economy. Perhaps with Congress holding hearings on the RIAA and the ACLU filing suit alleging that the RIAA's subpoenas violate due process and privacy rights, the RIAA will rethink its strategy. (Cue "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys)

Eric Bangeman
Eric has been using personal computers since 1980 and writing about them at Ars Technica since 2003, where he currently serves as Managing Editor. Twitter@ericbangeman